Rails to Raleigh will feature several prototype operating sessions on three local model railroads (all HO scale) plus one layout (N scale) at the Train Show.

The fee to participate in an operating session is $5.00. Sign up using the convention Registration Form (click here) choosing your preferred timeslot.

Operating sessions are scheduled at the following times:

Thursday, October 27	7:00pm–10:00pm
Friday, October 28	8:00am–11:00am
Friday, October 28	1:00pm–4:00pm
Saturday, October 29	2:00pm–5:00pm

The layout owner or representative will meet participants at the hotel and guide them to the layout site.

If you are participating in the Thursday night Operations Call Board and wish to go directly to the layout before you arrive and register at the convention hotel please email the Home Layout Tour Chairman. Dick Genthner, for contact information and directions. Please include your full name and registration number.
 

As of October 21 the Thursday evening and Friday morning Operations Call Boards are sold out. There is one place left on the Friday afternoon Call Board and several places left on Saturday afternoon.

The Brandywine Valley Railroad is loosely patterned on the old Wilmington and Northern which runs from Wilmington, Delaware north to Reading, Pennsylvania with a branch from Chadds Ford to Baltimore, Maryland. The HO BVR is a two level layout in a 42' x 24' "fat L" with the crew lounge and dispatcher occupying the rest of the square. Layout and scenery are completed (with much detailing opportunity remaining). Local panels are touch screens. A computer network connects the panels to Turnouts, Signals and Trains. A 5 level helix, TV monitors, live graphic timetable, Freight forwarding waybills, and the Telephone system are other items of interest.

N Scale NTRAK Layout

 
This is an N scale modular layout built to NTRAK standards. Its size will be approximately 16" x 72'.

The North Raleigh Model Railroad Club was founded over 30 years ago and quickly adopted NTRAK standards for their modular layouts. The Club participates in several train shows each year, and was part of the world's largest model railroad layout at Capitol Limited in Chantilly, VA in August 2004. The club was an early adopter of DCC for control and is a leader in DCC for NTRAK layouts. The Club uses the Digitrax DCC system.

The Club has built a number of specialized junction modules that allow trains to traverse any tracks on the layout, which provides an extremely flexible operating environment. There is a complete yard for making up trains, connected to the layout through a T-module. Mountain Division (green) track is used extensively. Many modules have industries and small yards for switching operations. Bi-directional travel is featured on the main lines.

An operating session for attendees is scheduled for Saturday, October 29, 2005 at 2:00pm for a cost of $5.00. Sign up for this operating session on the Registration form (click here). Participants can choose to supply their own locomotives and rolling stock, plus a Digitrax radio throttle (DT100R, DT300R, DT400R, UT4R) or they may "borrow" equipment from the Club.

 
The Eno Division is located on the 2nd floor of a large garage that Ed had built for this layout. The PRR is 32 feet by 24 feet and fills 768 square feet. The layout has over 1,450 feet of track with about 165 turnouts. There are about 135 signal heads used on his signaling system. Ed has a very large Altoona yard and also a horseshoe curve on the layout. Many of the buildings on the layout are craftsman kits that are expertly built and weathered. A lot have been modified to fit a particular scene or industry. The layout is 99% complete and the scenery is beautifully done. The railroad is controlled from a dispatcher using a computer to keep track of all the trains. Layout control features an NCE DCC system. The Eno Division is one of the layouts on a regularly scheduled round-robin Operating group.

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